Okay, I'm freaking out about food. « Back to Group Discussions

[SamiPolizzi]

I have not prepared any freezer meals and honestly I really don't want to. Nor do I have the freezer space. Our freezer is tiny and we have two roommates who we share it with. Between their stuff and my many mason jars filled with bone broth, we have just enough space for the frozen fruit and popsicles I plan to get. We don't really plan too far ahead when it comes to food, so I have no idea how to do it. We typically have our pantry stocked with our non perishable essentials, but that doesn't consist of much (oats, rice, coconut milk, a variety of nuts and dried fruits, etc) and other than that we pretty much go to the grocery store every 2 or 3 days and just buy enough fresh meat and produce for a few meals. Is it unrealistic to think that will suffice for labor/birth/postpartum? We have a trader joes less than a mile away, a new seasons (which is sort of whole foods-esque grocery store, for those of you who don't live in WA or OR) just a little bit farther away, plus tons of great food carts and take out/delivery places near by. I don't really see it being a problem to send my DP to grocery store when I'm in early labor to stock up. Trader Joe's has tons of pre-prepared stuff that just needs to be heated up. It wouldn't be my first choice for a meal, but it is easy and convenient. 

For some reason food has been a huge source of anxiety for me. I think it's mostly because having freezer meals ready is one of those things everyone says you HAVE TO do. I guess I'm just wondering if that's true, or if we'll be okay just eating the way we usually do. Someone who is more experienced with this, please let me know if I'm going to regret not being more prepared. 

[LightForest]

I definitely don't claim to be very experienced at this, but I'll share some thoughts anyway

Making freezer meals (or doing any other kind of early food prep, like canning/preserving foods) is a great way to burn off some nesting urges during the third trimester. You can put in some work and then SEE your accomplishment every time you open the freezer, and this makes you feel prepared. Well, that's how it is for me, anyway...

And making food in advance IS handy. If your DP/DH isn't good in the kitchen, and if you don't have lots of family or friends around bringing you goodies, then a freezer stockpile is a way to ensure that you have the food that YOU want to eat, ready and waiting after baby is born. Even if your DH loves to cook, a stocked up freezer is a way to ensure that there's one less thing to deal with when you're in labor or just after birth.

So, I don't consider it an essential task by any means. What if you or DP just make a Trader Joe's run prior to labor to stock up on shelf stable goods... I'm thinking about their sauces and soups mainly. I like to get their General Tso's sauce and barbecue sauce in bottles. These are the types of things that I'd normally make, but when push comes to shove a sauce in a bottle is enough to make a boring bowl of veggies, rice and tofu feel pretty enticing. I also like their tomato and black bean soups - the kind in cartons.

(I know what you mean about having limited space in the freezer, which requires more creative thinking when it comes to stockpiling nutritious food for postpartum. One thing that I've recently tried and found to work really well for my overcrowded freezer has been to use ziplock freezer bags to freeze beans, soups, sauces, and rice. I lay them flat in a pan to freeze, then once they're frozen I can stack them flat (or upright, like books on a shelf) in the freezer. I've been amazed by how much more food I can fit in my freezer this way as compared to my usual method of sticking things in freezer safe glass jars or plastic storage containers. I've never been a fan of freezer bags, but I think I'm a convert.)

[firespiritmelody]

I really really wanted to do some freezer meals before baby gets here, but it's highly unlikely it's going to happen. We're not good food-planners here in general either and often stop at the grocery store a couple of times a week. I am going to grab a lasanga from costco and hope to at least do a decent regular grocery store trip so the fridge and pantry and stocked but I'm letting go of the rest of it. I'm also going to make it a requirement that anyone coming over to see the baby brings food with them. We wont have a lot of visitors, but every little bit helps, right?

[LightForest]

To answer your question more directly, I definitely don't think you should freak out about food! You don't HAVE TO feed the freezer in order to have a "successful" postpartum experience! It sounds like you have a lot of amazing take out/delivery options where you live, and you live very near a couple of awesome grocery stores. I think that most moms in the "feed the freezer" camp either don't live so near those types of good prepared food options, OR they're looking to save money by doing it themselves.

And of course, there are many shades of grey between the two extremes (of buying a deep freeze and filling it vs living off takeout for two weeks). As for myself, I'll definitely be doing a bit of both

[spughy]

LightForest is totally right.  Besides, you can freak out about food all you want now, but once the baby comes, it'll be pretty far down on your list.  As in, you won't be super-fussy.  Whatever goes in - be it take-out, a Trader Joe's ready-meal, or some random slightly old veg boiled in your bone broth and whizzed up in the blender to make soup - it'll all be fine.  It's one of those things that is entertaining to worry about right up until you give birth, and then you'll have a few weeks of really just not caring so much where your food is coming from, only that it's going in your mouth at fairly regular intervals.  My DH informed me today that if he's doing the cooking there may be (GASP!) things like pasta and sauce out of a packet and ready-made salad from the grocery store.  I was less than concerned.  I have SOME food in the freezer - a couple meals of chili, some stir-fry chicken, some soup, a few meatloaves, and probably one or two other things I've forgotten about - but I'm totally fine with whatever DH can cobble together and if it's hotdogs and canned soup, that's fine.  If nothing else, it's incentive for me to get off my postpartum butt and figure out how to cook and nurse at the same time!

[sunshinelove]

I'm in the same boat as you, OP. Not much freezer space, not a real desire to make a bunch of meals beforehand, basic necessities in the pantry, good stores and take-out very close by, grocery store runs a few times a week. I'm not too concerned since last time i just bought several ready-made meals and that helped a lot. I'll either get some of those this coming week or have DH do it after the baby gets here. I've also noticed an almost feverish intensity on here and other DDCs when it comes to stocking the freezer and it can make you feel worrisome if you let it. It sounds like we'll both be okay, though.

[SamiPolizzi]

Thanks everyone. I feel a lot better now. :) I think I'll try to get a couple things in the freezer, but I'm not going to stress over it if doesn't happen. 

[MrsBerkley]

I've been really planning and stressing it too,but my freezer is seriously tiny and I am suddenly lacking the motivation. I have a cake,some soy barbecue riblets,and I will probably do a big batch of burritos(breakfast,potato,bean) and then be done! I can easily live off burritos for a few weeks :) 

[scruffy too]

Sam - I haven't put anything in the freezer, either.  Today I really want to make up icecubs and bag them, handy to have if I want cold drinks and/or smoothies, but that's it.  I'm lucky since DP does the majority of the cooking and it's not something he stresses over.  If I lived close to good take-out, I'd consider that good enough!!

[Bena]

I am one of those who was on a "fill the freezer frenzy" but I totally think it was my outlet for nesting this time around.  My MIL even got a little upset with me spending so much energy cooking one day last week when I was supposed to be resting after a tough week. She said food was the one thing she felt she could contribute and not to take that away from her!  But I just couldn't help it; I've had this nervous energy that only cooking satisfied.

My nesting urges with DD were geared more toward cleaning the house, but this time, I have absolutly NO urges or desire to get down and dirty with our baseboards and carpets.   In fact, the house is a mess right now and I don't even care!  NOT like me!

So it's funny how these things go!!!

Just for the record, though, the others are right.

When I was pregnant with DD, I had absoluty nothing prepped or packed foodwise, and we were completely fine!  People did bring us some food, and DP did a big grocery when we came back form the hospital.  We managed fine and I swear the grapes and yogourt I ate in copious amounts that first week were among the best meals I've ever had!!
 

[Tear78]

Sami, I hope this story helps: Last time my mom bought us a bunch of gourmet frozen dinners for our freezer. It was really sweet! Then DD had reflux and basically all the meals contained onion so I couldn't eat them. We managed just fine. Don't stress about it!

[spughy]

LOL Bena I'm exactly the opposite - last time with DD I had NO desire to clean the house, but this time... whoa.  I just spent the whole morning - after a crappy night's sleep no less - cleaning the house.  Only a week after I had it professionally done.  I also rearranged the bedroom because we finally got the new mattress for DD and now I've got the twin bed set up next to our queen bed and I'm washing the mattress covers and sheets and everything.

But I'm slacking on the food.  Normally, I care much more about what I eat than how clean my house is.  I've obviously been replaced by some alternate-reality me.  I wonder how long it will take before my family notices...

[SamiPolizzi]

Originally Posted by scruffy too 

Sam - I haven't put anything in the freezer, either.  Today I really want to make up icecubs and bag them, handy to have if I want cold drinks and/or smoothies, but that's it.  I'm lucky since DP does the majority of the cooking and it's not something he stresses over.  If I lived close to good take-out, I'd consider that good enough!!

Oh yeah, that's another thing I've been meaning to do. "Lots of ice" is one of the things on the list of supplies my midwife gave me. I don't even think we have enough space in the freezer to be able to have an ice cube tray sitting flat. It's seriously tiny! I'm sure we'll figure something out, though!

Originally Posted by Tear78 

Sami, I hope this story helps: Last time my mom bought us a bunch of gourmet frozen dinners for our freezer. It was really sweet! Then DD had reflux and basically all the meals contained onion so I couldn't eat them. We managed just fine. Don't stress about it!

That does make me feel better! I think part of why I'm so worried about it is that I had it so freaking easy with my first. I was a single mom and I moved back in with my parents for the last month of my pregnancy and the first 6 weeks of DS's life. I didn't have to worry about anything. My mom did our laundry, fed me, etc. I just sat around with a baby on my boob for 6 weeks. I didn't even realize how good I had it at the time. In retrospect, I should have stayed longer. This time around I had to go and move across the country, so I don't even have my mom close by to help out. :(

As far as desire to clean goes, I would LOVE to have a super clean house... I just want someone else to clean it for me. :P 

DS is going to my sisters house for a few hours today so DP and I have some alone time to get the house in order and get things ready, so we'll see how much gets done. First DS and I are going to target to get the last few things we need, so there's a pretty good chance we'll come home and I'll be exhausted and end up taking a nap. 

[chocolatechip]

Sami, I've never done this before, so I don't know how much it matters, but I'm not much of a cook-for-the-freezer person to start with, so I haven't done much. But a couple times, when I've cooked things that seem easily freezable to me, I've cooked extra. So I have a large container of homemade pasta sauce in the freezer. And a couple large containers of pinto beans (because I like them better when I cook them than canned). And one container of stew. So it's not tons, but at least there are a couple things in there that might feel more "special," so we could pull out the homemade spaghetti sauce rather than used jarred. :) And I'll make sure we have some things around that we usually use to make part of easy meals (like salmon tail cuts - I keep them in the freezer, and they're awesome for pulling out and thawing and then just baking for 10 minutes while steaming a green and baking a sweet potato or something!).